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The attraction with the Sunwolves largely came with the World Cup and Olympics staged in Japan over the next three years. Start building the momentum theory.

Gaining a foothold in the potentially lucrative Asian market was said to make financial sense, too.

Eddie Jones didn't help the launch. A major advocate of including a Japanese team in Super Rugby, Jones bailed on the eve of the Sunwolves' introduction; first to the Stormers (briefly) then to England.

In those circumstances, the Sunwolves never stood a chance year one – thrown in the deep end after terribly rushed preparation.

Mark Hammett and Filo Tiatia have since come and gone. Now the task of creating better alignment sits with Joseph, who doubles as national coach alongside Tony Brown.

The real issue is the continued conflict with the established Top League. Teams in that competition - Panasonic, Toshiba, Suntory, Toyota, Honda - control Japan's rugby wealth and, thus, the priorities of players.

Nobody wants a return to the Sunwolves being flogged week-on-week but this is supposed to be a Japanese team, not one merely masquerading.

Even with Joseph hinting at improvement, major change is required to prove this team has a future beyond its license to 2020.

Chiefs props in strife

Flown under the radar somewhat but the Chiefs have a genuine propping crisis.

All Blacks Kane Hames is understood to be battling concussion issues of some description; Atu Moli is gone for the year with surgery on a quad haematoma, and Nepo Laulala will be sidelined with a fractured forearm for two to three months.